So, I have spent the last year and a half drawing, but once my paints got shipped from CA last month, the paints are out and I am drawing with paint.

I think you guys know how I feel about my sketchbooks since you probably feel the same way about your own. They are precious little diaries filled with beautiful drawings, crude and silly doodles, and private notes. A sketchbook holds no real value for anyone but yourself.

All of the paintings you see above exist in one of my sketchbooks. As I try to re-create the drawings in oil paint, it becomes a new challenge in mark-making and they end up taking on their own life separate from the original drawing.

These guys are pretty small since I don't have much space, but it works for now. We'll see what comes of this new work...

Jacki, these paintings are really sophisticated. The speed in which they are painted seems to vary greatly within each painting, as if some parts are carefully drawn (reminiscent of a sketchbook study) while others parts seem to materialize with quick brush strokes. I really love the pace these are done at. Your color choices really connect to the subjects you are draw-painting. The poses are quiet and I think leaving parts stark white with blocks of color really add to the overall quietness/stillness of them. There's a playfulness and honesty in your work that comes through in the shape paintings. They read as very happy paintings to me, like you enjoyed letting the subject matter go and focus on color and line. I am curious how these would translate on a larger scale; what qualities will become less prominent and which new qualities will emerge? The thickness vs thinness of paint application is exciting/delicious! Very fun to see. <3

Reply

Sherwood

03/13/2014 2:41pm

Jackie!

I love it! These really remind me of the beautiful etchings you were working on during our last semester of school. I don't know if it's because we all use and treasure sketchbooks that we love seeing other artist sketchbooks? We definitely have a different relationship to them as opposed to someone who doesn't keep one.

I am really digging the one with the silver blue greys and yellows, I wish I had an entire wall in my house that looked just like that! The figure paintings are great too, I feel like I want to be attracted the the surrounding space of the figures a bit more, when I look at it the color and paint handling is lovely but it is very low priority to the figure. Although, I think it would read much better in person.

Really, there is no criticism here but a request to see more. You are experimenting in play, doodling in paint, making on impulse. I see figure studies, flat pattern design, symbolism, and value/line investigation. You are accomplishing all of this on such a small platform which is impressive. I read them as separate ideas, but I am wondering what would happen if the pages started to deliberately respond and reply to one another, and talk. Taking back a little bit of the spontaneity, which is wonderful, might push you to develop a concept where they exist individually and create a story when combined (because from here it looks like this was way too easy for you in a very good way). Just something to consider.

Eye candy, that’s what these painted sketches are. I don’t feel the need to search for a meaning, it feels good just to look. So, I am wondering if these will later play into larger paintings, as I am eagerly awaiting the bigger ideas that will arise.

These are beautiful little gems. Not to jump on the bandwagon...but I totally am...keep doing what you're doing!

I'm really intrigued by the sort of filter you are creating for yourself. A lot of the time we use sketchbooks to work out ideas or compositions for preconceived projects. Here, however, you are making the sketchbook your form and subject matter. You are making mark to interpret mark--really essentializing the final work. With years of material to pull from, and potentially a lot of time between the drawing and the painting, the original intention of the sketch may be forgotten. It leaves so much room for reinterpretation and play.

Work with that. I agree with Cece; as time and space allow, I would love to see these start to work their way into larger combined works, taking one more step away from the original subject matter. You've always had such a way with subtle narrative, and who doesn't try to remember (or maybe even concoct connections more interesting than the "truth") the story behind all the little things that spark our interest enough to inspire sketches. I can practically already see a delicate figure exploring one of those muted color fields. ;)